Career change in police ... im 29 years old...?

Ive always wanted to become a police officer but i got sucked into the wrong crowd as a young teen and early 20's, I lost myself and my goals. I have tried drugs but never got addicted, im clean. I have no criminal record and ive always kept in shape.
At the age 21 i found a gf, she put me on the right track.... show more Ive always wanted to become a police officer but i got sucked into the wrong crowd as a young teen and early 20's, I lost myself and my goals. I have tried drugs but never got addicted, im clean. I have no criminal record and ive always kept in shape.

At the age 21 i found a gf, she put me on the right track. I went back to school and graduated as a graphic designer through trade, Ive been working ever since. Im great at what i do and i managed to work my way up to a graphic director. I love my job, great pay but again, ive always wanted to be a police officer.

At 29, i feel as though this is truly the last chance i have to give this a shot, go back to school and purse a dream of mine.

Im in good shape, dont do drugs and i only have a high school diploma.

Keep in mind that, the police academy is a 3 years course. I will be graduating at 31, 32 years old.

Will i have a shot at getting a job at that age? Am i wasting my time? Any police officers who can give me advice and or anyone ever go back to school at 29 ?

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Answers

I want to share a somewhat different viewpoint, one that you might not get here.

The state of law enforcement in this country has declined. A lot of contemporary law enforcement does not mean being part of the solution, but rather part of the problem. Much has changed because common sense has been exchanged for unethical behavior.

Consensual activity is disdained by law enforcement. It is considered a crime when two adults making a marijuana transaction, even though both parties mutually agree to the transaction.

Asset forfeiture is seizing the property of people who are assumed guilty and have to prove their innocence. Seized monies by police have skyrocketed in the past few decades. Citizens often lack the resources to combat this abusive practice, so police know there is a good chance of departments keeping seized items.

Law enforcement has become militarized. The acquired vehicles are not free, as some believe. The receiving police departments must retrieve the vehicles. Other costs include storage, insurance, maintenance, fuel, training, etc. These costs are not insignificant.

Police exercise wide discretion, which is contrary to what some believe. Law enforcement recently "cracked down" on people reselling NFL post-season tickets. This, again, represents another waste on citizens involved in consensual activity.

Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT) was once reserved for hostage situations. SWAT is now used for simple matters like marihuana.

Many types of enforcement are ineffective. Checkpoints (roadblocks) are a prime example. Research convincingly shows that roadblocks are ineffective compared to saturation patrols for apprehending drunks. The same research indicates that drunk driving is not deterred by roadblocks. Law enforcement is lazily interacting with law-abiding citizens at roadblocks. INTERNAL Border Patrol checkpoints are also ineffective AWAY from the border.

There is much unethical behavior, which is sometimes called "thuggish" behavior. It is being exposed because the average person can now address it through new technology, such as cellular phone filming, You Tube, internet forums, live streaming, etc. A disturbing instance is the brutal officer who cold bloodedly murdered homeless man Kelley Thomas. You can see the cop bait Thomas in the dashcam video. The cop yells to Thomas, "[these hands] are about to fvck you up!" He fvcked up Thomas to the point of murdering him.

As you've described yourself as previously using illegal drugs then you would likely be disqualified or restrictions by the recruitment agency team besides, I would like to inform you fabrication on your recruitment forms is a serious criminal offence , is a perversion of justice and may ( more likely ) lead to serious fraudulent prosecution. I would highly recommend if you do attempt to join not to lie on your applications as the use of drugs ( especially illicit drugs ) will likely affect your co ordinance skills and other balancing abilities so I would instead advise you to seek other employment opportunities such as being , a security officer - similar work opportunities but, instead of being a staff member of a law enforcement agency - you get to abide by security devisions rules and regulations but, I would suggest you seek new line of employment as both of these mentioned work can be dangerous and you would risk your safety though, it's your decision to make, I suppose.